Man, 23, pleads guilty to molesting 11-year-old girl, district attorney says

Lomack Deamonte Pridgen, 23, will spend 12 years of his sentence in confinement without the possibility of parole and will be on probation for the rest of his life.

The Cherokee County District Attorney's Office said a man admitted to molesting an 11-year-old girl in September 2021. 

Lomack Deamonte Pridgen, 23, will spend 12 years of his sentence in confinement without the possibility of parole and will be on probation for the rest of his life.

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office arrested Pridgen in September 2021 after the victim told their parent he'd abused her. The child's parent reported the abuse to law enforcement.

"The defendant is someone known to the child, which made the prosecution of this case more difficult for everyone involved," said Assistant District Attorney Leyna Pope, who prosecuted the case. "This negotiated plea enables the family to have closure, without the victim having to undergo the trauma of a trial."

Pridgen cannot contact the victim or her family members and must register as a sex offender laws.

"This sexual predator took advantage of an innocent little girl, subjecting her to his sick perversions when no one was around to stop him. It took real courage for her to tell her mother what happened and to stay strong throughout this process," said District Attorney Shannon Wallace. "This sentence ensures that the defendant serves 12 years in prison, registers as a sex offender, and is closely monitored by law enforcement for the rest of his life."